Lifeboat launching device



June 14,1938. RYAN 2,120,265

LIFEBOAT LAUNCHING DEVICE Filed Oct. 6, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS June 14, 1938. J RYAN 2,120,265

LIFEBOAT LAUNCHING DEVICE Filed Oct. 6, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W Illllllllllllulfilllllllllllllm 229.8. 60. Joknrg ATTORNEYS Patented June 14, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE 1 Claim.

The invention relates to a life boat launching device and more especially to means for launching ships boats.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character, wherein t o h the use of caster rollers or wheels clamped in position or place upon a life boat trackage of such rollers or wheels can be had upon the hull of a parent vessel particularly when the same has listed so as to assure safety to the occupants of the life boat when being lowered into the water without liability of the capsizing of such life boat.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character, wherein the same is conveniently attached to and removed from a life boat when suspended by a davit on board a parent ship so that when the life boat is being lowered without regard to the listing of the parent ship there will be no interference with the said life boat and the same will be maintained on an even keel to avoid the turning over or capsizing of such life boat while being lowered into the water, the

device being separable from the life boat with dispatch after it has reached the water and also such device when removed from the boat can be conveniently stored within the parent ship or the boat itself and occupying the least possible space when not in use.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character, wherein the construction thereof is novel in form and affords a cradle for a life boat to assure safety in the placing of the life boat in the water to eliminate the possibility of capsizing thereof and also is susceptible of attachment to varying sizes of life boats for the cradling thereof.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character, which is extremely simple in its construction, thoroughly 40 reliable and effective in its operation, easily attached to and removed from a life boat and attached and detached with dispatch, strong, durable, and inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose the preferred embodiment of the invention and 50 pointed out in the claim hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is an elevation of a life boat suspended by a davit showing the device constructed in accordance with the invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is an end elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation partly in section of a portion of the device.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of certain parts shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view show- 5 ing a portion of the tie rod and coupling of the device.

Figure (3 is an elevation of the intermediate adjuncts of the device as applied to the boat.

Figure 7 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 8 is a top plan view.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A desighates generally a life boat of conventional kind and B its keel ridge, the boat when upon a parent ship is suspended or supported by a davit, a portion thereof being indicated at C, so that such boat may be cast outboard for reaching the water.

The device constituting the present invention comprises a pair of outer and a single intermediate wheel fork lll and ll, respectively, these having journaled therein wheels or rollers l2. The outer forks ii] are provided with saddles l3 constituting seats for the keel ridge B and such saddles are bolted or otherwise secured to the lower ear ends it of lowermost tubular rods I5 of a pair of extensible clamping arms, the uppermost tubular rods of which are indicated at I6, these being joined with the lowermost rods l5 through turn buckles ll. The uppermost rods IE are slidably telescoped into coupling sleeves it which through linkage is are hung from hooklike brackets or clamps 29 which engage over the upper edge of the side of the hull or body of the boat A. Each sleeve it: carries a spring tensioned trigger latch 2! for engaging in a keeper socket 22 provided in each of the uppermost tubes 56 for detachably latching the same in the sleeve. The arms including the tubes it are outwardly bowed correspondingly to the bow or bulge of the body or hull of the boat A and in this manner the wheel forks it with the wheels l2 are clamped in place on the said boat as is clearly shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings.

The saddles i3 having fixed thereto perforated 7 cars 23 which extend toward each other from the said saddles and in which are separately engaged hook ends 24 of a pair of tie rods 25, these being adjustably joined with each other through the medium of a turn buckle 26, and in this manner the said forks Ill are adjustably spaced from each other in their clamped position upon the boat A.

The intermediate fork ll carrying the wheel I2 is fixed to the lower end of a swinging lever 21 pivoted at 28 to a sector rack 29 fixed to a clamping bracket or jaw 30 adapted to be fastened by a set screw 3! in place upon the side of the boat A intermediate with relation to the forks ID.

The lever 21 at its handle end 32 is fitted with a hand release spring pressed latching bolt or detent 38 selectively engageable with the teeth of a keeper rack 39 formed at the upper portion of the segment 29. The lever 21 below its pivot 28 has connected thereto a coiled retractile spring 40 which is also fastened to the bracket 30 and this spring urges the fork l I inwardly toward the boat A when the bracket is secured thereto and saddling the upper edge of the side thereof while the detent or bolt 38 latches said lever against inward swinging movement counter to the action of the spring 40 and thus holding the fork H with the Wheel I2 outwardly spaced from the side of the boat A at the desired distance Within the range of the rack 39. These rollers or wheels l2 make contact with the hull of a parent ship carrying the life boat A when such ship has listed so as to enable the boat A when being lowered to maintain an even keel and avoiding any possibility of the capsizing of the boat when being lowered from the said parent ship into the water, the rollers being adapted to travel upon the hull of said parent ship when listing during the lowering of the life boat to the water. The device constituting the present invention is readily and quickly demountable from the boat A so as to permit the storage thereof when not in use and also when the said boat A has been lowered into the water. by the life boat A when the same is lowered by the davit from the parent ship and will assure safety and avoid capsizing of such boat when placing it in the water.

' The device is readily adjustable for fitting varying sizes of life boats and is readily and easily attached and detached for use and disuse thereof.

Each trigger latch 2| is carried by a clamping collar 41 made secure to and embracing each sleeve.

What is claimed is:

A life boat launching apparatus comprising a pair of clamp devices adapted to be removably secured at spaced points along the side of a life boat; each clamp device consisting of a wheel fork having a notched saddle for seating a keel ridge of a boat therein, a wheel mounted in the fork, a hook like member engageable with the upper side of the boat, a rod like member secured to and outwardly bowed from said saddle of said wheel fork for spanning the side of the boat, a sleeve member swiveled to said hook like member and detachably engaged over the free end of the rod like member, a releasable latch securing said rod like member and sleeve member in telescopic relationship and coupling means connecting said wheel forks consisting of a rod secured to each wheel fork and a turnbuckle connecting the rods.

JOHN F. RYAN.

The device is carried- 

